Obesity News and Research

Overweight and obesity are defined by the WHO as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to an individuals health.

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer and while it was once an issue only in high income countries, overweight and obesity has now dramatically risen in low- and middle-income countries.Such countries are now facing a "double burden" of disease, for while they continue to deal with the problems of infectious disease and under-nutrition, they are also experiencing a rapid upsurge in chronic disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly in urban settings.

Food insecurity--difficulty affording enough food to support regular, balanced meals--was associated with increased likelihoods of binge-eating disorder and obesity in a recent International Journal of Eating Disorders study.

Aerobic exercise can improve the size and function of the brain, and now investigators want to know if it can also improve cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia who struggle with memory and attention problems.

Mindfulness training may improve the effectiveness of intensive weight management programs, suggesting that it could be an excellent strategy for healthcare providers in preventing and managing obesity.

Research led by Suresh Alahari, PhD, Fred Brazda Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology at LSU Health New Orleans, suggests a novel protein may be a promising therapeutic target to treat or prevent metabolic disorders.

The MyNewGut project has discovered new bacterial species and strains in healthy people that seem to be effective against obesity, metabolic and mental disorders related to stress and obesity (e.g. depression).

Boys with good motor skills are better problem-solvers than their less skillful peers, a new study from Finland shows. In contrast to previous studies, the researchers found no association between aerobic fitness or overweight and obesity with cognitive function in boys.

Over the past two decades, labels such as the U.S. Nutrition Facts Panel on packaged foods, calorie counts on national restaurant menus, front-of-pack labels encouraging healthier eating, and "low-sodium" or "fat-free" identifiers have been developed in order to promote healthier choices. But do they work?

In-school nutrition policies and programs that promote healthier eating habits among middle school students limit increases in body mass index, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health finds.

Eisai Co., Ltd. has entered into an agreement to grant exclusive development and marketing rights for its anti-obesity agent lorcaserin hydrochloride in Brazil to Eurofarma Laboratorios S.A. Under this agreement, Eisai will supply Eurofarma with lorcaserin. Eisai will receive a one-time contractual payment and is eligible for milestone payments for sales in Brazil.

According to a new report published this week, excess body weight is one of the major reasons behind cancers worldwide. The report written by scientists at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and published in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians shows that 3.9 percent of the cases of cancers were linked to excess body weight and this amounted to 544,300 cases in 2012.

According to our current understanding, intestinal microflora has a considerable effect upon our health. The initial colonization with bacteria directly after birth could be of significant importance for the development of the intestinal flora, which then accompanies us throughout our entire lives.

New research suggests that exercise is a key factor in reducing colorectal cancer risk after weight loss. According to the study, physical activity causes beneficial changes in the bone marrow. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology--Endocrinology and Metabolism.

In a medical records analysis of information gathered on more than 6,000 people, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers conclude that simply asking older adult patients about their weight history at ages 20 and 40 could provide real value to clinicians in their efforts to predict patients' future risk of heart failure, heart attacks or strokes.

A new study led by Amitai Abramovitch, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas State University, shows that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are significantly less likely to become overweight or obese.

2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Fraser Stoddart outlines his research involving mechanically interlocked molecules and molecular machines, and introduces the work of some of the students in his lab, to be discussed at Pittcon 2018.

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